Agustas Peterle, 93, died Friday, June 23,2010. Gus had returned to Stonington in 2008 from his longtime home in West Wardsboro, Vt. He was born Gustav Peterla Jr. on Nov. 28, 1916 in Amesbury, where he grew up and graduated high school.
He worked in the CCC’s in Vermont and the Amesbury Hat Factory.
During World War II from 1941 to 1945 he served as a propeller mechanic for the 3030th AAF Base in North Africa, Sicily, China, Burma and India, reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant.
Gus loved the outdoors.and fishing, was an old hutman with the Appalachian Mt. Club and was dubbed the “Amesbury fish” in high school for his mastery of the mile ocean swimming race.